Ruidoso fifth graders learn CPR

The students of two fifth-grade classes at Ruidoso's White Mountain Elementary school took an afternoon to learn how to save lives.

Patrick Connor. emergency medicine doctor of Lincoln County and the emergency department director at the Carlsbad Medical Center, said he wanted to emphasize the importance of learning CPR and basic first aid.

"I had been wanting to do this since the beginning of the school year." Connor said. "I just needed to recruit Ted Mcgill to teach it."

Ted Mcgill is a firefighter and paramedic in Carlsbad and teaches CPR to all ages.

"I teach medical students so this is different." Connor said.

The event was held in fifth-grade teacher Maxine Anchondos' classroom. The neighboring fifth-grade class of Vilma Cipriani joined in, bringing 40 students into the room.

Connor began the session by explaining the importance of CPR to the students.

"You will make a difference in someone's life if you know this." Connor said.

Connor explained the Good Samaritan Law and how performing CPR on someone is part of being a good citizen.

Mcgill then began going over the three basic steps of checking a person in need of CPR, which are calling 911 and then beginning chest compressions on the person. Mcgill told the students the number of chest impressions that must be done while he demonstrated the correct CPR position. Mcgill called students in groups of four to practice CPR on adult mannequins. Next Mcgill demonstrated how to perform CPR on infant mannequins and had the students practice. Following the CPR lesson, Mcgill taught the students the basics of first aid, such as how to apply pressure to a bleeding wound and how to bandage a wound properly. At the end of the course, each student received a personalized certificate of completion.

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"I think it is important to learn CPR because you never know when it may come in handy." Landon Lucero, student of Anchondos, said.

"I like that we are learning how to help people." Ernesto Uribe, another student of Anchondos, said.